Tuesday, November 5, 2013

As the Basketball Turns: The Return of the Squeaky Shoes

Now that the doldrums of the summer are over, basketball is
in full swing. NBA Free agency being a hot topic is now more than just
discussion points- it’s a reality you can watch unfold via ESPN, TNT and NBA
League Pass. Normally I’d say this is where the talking stops and the playing
starts- but NBA pundits need to keep talking, since stances can change at the
drop of a hat (or basketball). Time to see what there is to make of the first
week of the 2013 NBA season. Let’s have a look, shall we?

Disappointment is the
New York State of Mind

The Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks wanted to remain
relevant in the offseason, but how much of it made sense? So far both teams are
a combined 3-5 and combine to average 94 points per game. What’s the hold up,
exactly?

First and foremost- most of the moves were more window
dressing than changing anything on the interior. Joe Johnson is another year
older and slower, as is Kevin Garnett. Williams and Pierce will be productive
but worn by season’s end. Brook Lopez has yet to have more than 7 rebounds in a
game. So much for that 82 million dollar cap penalty being worth it, Nets fans.
Granted this is only the beginning, but losing to Orlando by 21 and shooting
38% is not a promising sign at all. The Nets -like the Rockets in the West-
have to build chemistry in order to succeed. The difference is that the Nets
are supposed to be in “contend now” mode, and don’t have the luxury of time to
figure out the identity of their team.

The Knicks seem to view themselves as the “Lakers of the
East”: a storied franchise who thinks it is a premiere destination for star
players. That couldn’t be further from the truth, as no one is willing to join
such a disheveled franchise. Amare Stoudemire continues to struggle through his
injury woes along with Kenyon Martin. Tyson Chandler is not the same center who
helped the Mavericks hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2011. JR Smith was
inexplicably resigned, even amidst reports he had just had a knee surgery that
would set him back. Carmelo Anthony is still Carmelo Anthony which is good for
the Knicks, and bad. Anthony has seemed content in recent years to plateau and
be nothing more than a premiere scorer. His defense is average at best, and he
still grinds the Knicks offense to a halt when he gets the ball. Case in point:
his 32 point effort against Charlotte still wasn’t enough as the Knicks lost,
102-97. They’ll be lucky to make the playoffs. If they do- it’s almost a
certain first round exit.

Battle for L.A….What
Battle?

Ever since the Clippers turned the corner and began
attracting new fans with Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul, the
narrative each time they faced the Lakers was that they were fighting for
control of basketball supremacy in Hollywood. While the Kobe-less Lakers
surprisingly won by 13 opening night, the Clippers have since gone 3-0, their
most recent win a dominating 137-118 rout of the 4-1 Houston Rockets. The
Lakers have gone 1-3 since. Chris Paul after a handful of games has poll
position in the MVP race, weaving in and out of defenses to create shots and
find teammates. With Kobe out for an unknown length of time, L.A. officially
belongs to the Clippers in 2013.

He’s Back

Russell Westbrook returned ahead of schedule in a Thunder
win last week, as they are now 2-1. There is more doubt than in recent years in
OKC, and it has almost zilch to do with 0’s meniscus. Some are wondering the
lingering effects of last season’s James Harden trade, while also trying to
figure out OKC’s draft strategy. No one is exactly sure what to make of the
Thunder so far, so for now let’s go with “Ask Again Later”.

The Dwight Stuff

Dwight Howard opened up his season with an eye-opening 17
pt, 26 rebound performance against the Charlotte Bobcats last Wednesday. Since
then, he is averaging 15 per game along with 14.5 points. His work with
Olajuwon and Kevin McChale is very apparent, as he his faster and nimbler. His
go to is a spin move he loses defenders with, and before they can catch up, his
shot is in the air and they more often than not end up fouling him. In their
most recent win over Portland, Howard finished with 29 pts, 13 rebounds and
went 8-10 from the charity stripe. Howard is healthier than he has been in
years, and looks to put it to good use with his new team as they sit at 4-1.

Interesting Starts

Raise your hand if you had the 76ers starting 3-0 with a win
over the defending champion Heat? Put your hands down, liars. The Warriors
brought the Sixer back to Earth on Monday with a 110-90 throttling, but for a
team without any playoff expectations- the Sixers will be fun to watch this
year with rookie Michael Carter-Williams and veteran Thaddeus Young. Rumble,
young men, rumble.

Also random but fun- the Suns’ 3-1 start. Rookie Miles
Plumlee looks to make a dent in the rotation, compiling 13 boards and 13 points
the other night. Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic will run the show, but they may
not be as bad as I and others predicted.

The Wizards are 0-3 and second to last in the East (in front
of 0-4 Boston). I don’t see them beating the 76ers Wednesday night, but I do
see a chance for a W against Brooklyn this coming Friday. If not then, the
Wizards have a tough road ahead of them and a realistic chance to start 0-11,
snapping the skid on November 22nd to Toronto.

Week 2 Big Game
Spotlight:

November 6th:

Chicago vs Indiana-
a possible ECF preview.

Golden State vs.
Minnesota- two of the new era’s brightest teams face off.

November 7th:

Lakers vs. Rockets
(TNT)- It’s more sizzle than steak. Unless Kobe rushes on court to attack
Dwight, Houston should be favored in this anti-climactic primetime showdown.